Persona 3 Spoilers - Tumblr Posts

Brain empty, only Aigis going

nyowwwwww

Bonus:

She hides

OMG YES, innocent sin online!! i haven't played p3, do we know anything about what kind of mmo it's meant to be? like, is it like runescape or ffxiv?

Unfortunately, I haven't played p3 myself either. > <

But, based off of these screenshots from Makoto's laptop, it does seem to be more of a final fantasy vibe!

They also gave Maya a portrait, very cool!

I been finally been playing through p3r episode aigis and having played isat I’m insane

First off time loop. Obvious connection.

Also Metis has obvious abandonment issues? Hi Sif, hi Loop!

Also I watched through some Q2 cutscenes and the fucking connection my brain made with Kotone and Loop holy shit.

Seeing a version of your friends, your family, but when they look at you all they see is a stranger. Saying hello, hoping to be known, but they don’t recognize you.

Meeting and helping your replacement, in part envying them, but also feeling kinship and a deeper connection than you could possibly have with anyone else. Seeing them interact with your family in place of you, wishing you could just interact with your friends like you remember, but they don’t know you. They know them. I’m insane. I’m literally insane.

The way Ken stands around staring off into the distance with his fists clenched all the time is hysterical, like I know about his tragic backstory but calm down kid you're like 12

the guilt of enjoying your company

Okay, so I'm not sure why I got this idea 30+ hours into my plays through of Persona 3 Reload, but I did!!! Since this is my first time playing the game and a persona game!

I thought I'd made a couple of posts about my experience with the story and characters as I play through it! This first one will be about Junpei, and of course, there will be spoilers!!!

This is so far the only screenshot I took of them in the hospital together so far LMAO. And I'm seriously kicking myself for not taking more screenshots.

Anyway, before playing this game, I basically knew pretty much nothing about it. The only thing I knew was that Mitsuru was super popular and people loved Junpei and Chidori together.

And after seeing scenes of them together at the station and hospital I can totally see why!! It's only been very little of what I've seen, buuuuuuuuuuut OMG, THEY'RE SO CUTE. I LOVE THEM AND AM ALREADY SHIPPING THIS!!!!

Even though they may be enemies, I can't wait to see more scenes of them together!! Honestly, they're really sweet, and I do think Chidori does care about Junpei.

Honestly, it's a little difficult for me to put into words, but I just love them, and seeing them together, I dunno it's just cute and makes me happy!!!

So today I played through the story content of October in Persona 3 Reload...

Okay I should have made this post a few days ago...but still! I'm making it now I've just been having so much fun with P3R and so much has been happening! Anyways spoilers for the November story content!

I KNEW IT!! I FUCKING KNEW IT!!! I KNEW HE WAS EVIL I ABSOLUTELY CALLED THIS I KNEW HE WAS EVIL!!

Mhmm only "persona users" or "those with potential" can be active during the dark hour. So why are you able to walk around during the dark hour? 🤨

I absolutely knew from that fact alone there was something sus about this dude and yet I didn't really think about it. Okay, but fr he actually went full-on crazy!!

I won't lie the way his eyes looked during the cut scenes actually freaked me out a little bit 😭😭😭. And, like, just his general demeanour freaked me. I really couldn't believe it. How he was acting I mean.

Still, I should have KNOWN the fact he and Aigis being away for so long was weird. I wasn't surprised the dark hour was still a thing because no way the game was going to end there, lol.

Ngl I'm really going to miss seeing Pharos! I really liked him and the friendship he was forming with Makoto. Although part of me thinks he might just show up again.

From Shuji's rant and Pharos Social Link being "Death" there's definitely some connection. Especially with the Sacrifices Shuji had planned to rebirth the world.

But eh, I dunno. It's all so confusing, and there are definitely some things I don't know yet to fully talk about. Honestly thinking about the lore and story this deeply gives me a headache lol.

I've really grown to love all these characters a lot. More than I would have, honestly, but they're all great, and I love them!

Also gotta say Fuuka is hella relatable just for the bullying and the type of person she is. I'M BAD AT COOKING AS WELL GIRL

UNFORTUNATELY, I didn't take a scene of it, but Fuuka restored the video of Yukari's dad and then gave it to her. OOF, that scene was emotional, and learning that defeating the Shadows at full moons was the opposite of what they were supposed to do.

It definitely must have been a crushing blow to everyone's motivation for what they were fighting for but especially for Yukari. But still getting to see Yukari to see the full message from her dad and then accept his death and finally begin to move on from it was incredible.

I love Yukari so much she's such a great character 😭😭😭.

I would like to talk about the other characters as well at least for right now. But hmm I am struggling to find things to say about them. (AKA still hurting from a character death where I directly need to mention two other characters are length.

At least right now, anyway, I think I'll have to progress more in the story to give some thoughts about them.

However, I can touch on Mitsuru for a moment here. Although what happened to her didn't make me cry (compared to another character's death...)it mostly definitely got me close because of how damn sad it was.

Just seeing the state she's in right now is horrible. Just going from this calm, collected, level-headed leader to someone so quiet and distant is weird.

Of course, it's understandable, considering what has just happened to her. But still, it's so very odd to see the way she's acting. And I love that everyone else in the dorm is so worried about her.

I'm sure the picture that was taken that night, even if it didn't turn out how she or anyone else wanted, I'm sure she'll look back on it fondly.

Also, I really need to take more screenshots of things that happen. But I just get so absorbed in what's happening and shocked by story moments I forget! But I'll definitely be sure to try and take a lot more!

So I'm about to fight or getting very very close to fighting the final boss of P3R! It's been a little while since I made a post about the story and what's happened. So I'll make one before the final battle and story spoilers for November and December of P3R!

Okay, I'm not going to lie. The Chidori boss fight totally surprised me. I seriously didn't expect that I would have to fight her at any point.

But for what happened afterwards, it just made everything a lot worse 😭😭😭. Her Death surprised me, especially with how it happened.

And seeing Junpei's reaction to her death really did break my heart. However, I really love how both of their persona's became one and that Chidori appears in one of his Theurgy 😭😭😭.

Okay, ngl, I maybe should have realized sooner that he was Pharos because of the beauty mark and eyes...but anyway, Pharos or Ryoji, in this case, was interesting to meet and learn about!

I just knew Pharos would have had some Importance later on in the story. I mean, it just seemed weird for him to leave so suddenly, especially with how mysterious and important he seemed to be.

And he certainly did! I couldn't have expected how much was involved with and caused.

At first, I thought it was weird how much of an interest Aigis seemed to have in Makoto. I mean, I thought it was just the game's way of getting to know her and having the player like her more.

But to know there was an actual reason for that was amazing! Okay, that kinda sounds really bad because of the reason...but still!

I really couldn't have expected Aigis to have known each other or at least been involved with events with each other. The mystery of Makoto's parent's death was something I was always curious about.

So to find out because of their deaths and Makoto being at the wrong place at the wrong time. What led him to be involved with everything was amazing. It really tied and connected everyone together! Even if the reasons or events weren't so happy ones...

Okay, I'm ngl Aigis; at first, she wasn't a character I was a fan of, and I even got to know her more with her joining SEES. I still really wasn't a fan. I mean, I liked her, but I really didn't understand why the fanbase seemed to love her so much.

However, this moment here is what really changed my opinion of Aigis and truly made me love her as a character. To see Aigis worried for her friends and want nothing but good things for them was heartwarming.

At times, I felt it was hard to tell how she felt towards the other, and she didn't seem to share her feelings about them. But it really was heartwarming to see her so worried for them and just for them all to be happy.

Even after this moment, from what I've seen, she's grown more and really opened up about herself. I'm glad to see, and because of what happened in her past, I'm glad she has someone like Makoto she can trust so much.

They're boyfriends btw.

Just got the good ending of Persona 3 Reload and have now finally finished the game.....UGHRGDYDHSKSGLSVS MY HEART 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

persona 3 reload (i love)

CW: ACTUALLY. uh. warning for like. suicide?? guns? well its not actually suicide but like. i mean this isnt spoiler free but they use a certain method to trigger their personas that could be very triggering to people so if you're uncomfortable with death and anything related, this is NOT the game for you!

Also spoilers for other persona games

i just saw the entire story of persona 3 reload (well. i watched someone play it. because im not the biggest fan of grinding, but on the other hand listening to grinding in tartarus vods where they just talk about random stuff [actually, i watched CyYu's playthrough. If you don't know, that's Akihiko's VA] is nice to have in the background)

this was the second persona game ive seen. the first was persona 5, which i saw the anime for, but forgot like most of what happened (ive been regaining that knowledge through fanfiction.)

in any case i also spoiled myself to what happened in persona 3 by fanfiction

so i knew. that. protag would die.

but it got me really sad. and with the in-cutscene options where it just. feels so slow.

(and a part of me is relieved that we didnt see them make the realization that we're dead. it was all happy times till the end and i know that wouldve gotten the waterworks coming)

and then the main menu screen??

its just. empty.

and this got me crying (i always hate endings, honestly. the 'will we or will we not meet again?' no thanks i shall live in 'these characters will live forever in a sort of limbo in the same school and nothing changes because yes'. ...although that might be a little too close to a certain twisted wonderland plotline LMFAO)

(also oh my god the osts in this game are such a fucking BOP AGHH)

(i have no clue what my reaction to the plot twist with like ryoji n stuff would be though, honestly. i spoiled myself reading those time travel fanfictions where persona 3 protagonist [either makoto or minato] either comes back to the beginning. ..OR somehow comes back to life??? or appears in persona 5 with amnesia at first. and like. there's one where ryoji was there (as a voice). or the yellow in his phantom thief costume was 'his idea of rebellion' aka ryoji. so then. i went to the wiki. and so yeee.)

in any case i definitely prefer this over persona 5. and that might be because i really got myself invested in the actual story and cared a whole lot about the characters (Cy Yu did a 100% playthrough using a guide as he played the original but respectfully kept the entire thing spoiler-free so ppl like me could fully experience it for the first time while getting the most story :D)

but yeah.

also.

GUNS.

trauma.

ive only seen it a few times in crossover fics between persona games. but. ..i really like seeing peoples reactions to them pulling a gun out and shooting themselves. (sometimes it works. sometimes it doesnt and it breaks because there's a difference to how every persona world works for each game. like. Dark Hour, TV World(? ive never seen 4 but ive seen fics), Metaverse(iirc)... And the shadows I think mean different things.)

also the theurgy's are very pretty. and if i misspelled that i am so sorry.

The Scale and Sword / Persona Fic (Fic Rec)

Masayoshi Shido was a man who cared not for the women he slept with. He simply did what he wanted, damn the consequences. This is a fact Goro Akechi knew very well, as he was one of those aforementioned consequences. It never occurred to either of them, however, that more than one accident can happen, more than one child can come from those thoughtless nights. Ken Amada has just learned who his father is, just learned that he has a half brother. Ken Amada simply thinks it's about time for the worlds worst family reunion.

i love this fic. very much. it combines my two favorite persona games, 3 and 5 (I honestly haven't seen any of the others but still)

it ALSO has like. so you know those fics where they include all of previous persona games having existed and happened at one point?

so yeah we have characters from other persona games too.

ive honestly heard nothing about what persona 2 or 1 have

also i just. like character from other persona game appearing in a different persona game with all this knowledge and '...AGAIN??'

and i also like the ones that are like 'character and character are siblings'

which this is the first ken being goro's half brother ive seen. but im am a HUGE FAN of this

I doubt I have many persona fans following me, but does anyone remember around the time when p5 was first announced, there was a fairly popular p3 comic about both p3 protags, where they both were the seal and got to know each other.

P3 cast eventually showed up to free their leader from the seal with Elizabeth, and the p3 protags realizes whats happening, but the p3 male protag admired his other self (hamuko) and sent her back instead because of who she was as a person.

you ship ryomina because ryoji is a disaster of a bisexual. I ship ryomina because of the beauty of a suicidal boy that can love life enough that death can agree.

Honestly I'd read your essay on P3 being a game about loving life because I've been holding the same essay in my head since playing the OG in like 2006 and I firmly believe it is the intended message of the game.

Persona 3 is a game about loving life, but god if I knew how to write coherently. Sorry if it's not perfect, I'm just writing off the top of my head for now.

[PERSONA 3 RELOAD FREELOADERS DNI!!!]

I could very well just talk about base game or p3r, but I feel like that'd be dishonest to my experience with persona 3.

One thing we'd have to talk about is the difference between the two protagonists. Hamuko Vs Minato is interesting because fundamentally to me they're the same people. They, at their core suffer the same kind of apathy... and the reaction is different. In all honesty this is pure speculation on my part especially since there is the dubious canonicalness of the alternative media forms but I believe the reason the difference is so big between Hamuko and Minato is because their gender forces their expression of self to be different. Like obviously there's Nihilism vs 's that meme about the two different versions of nihilism, but there's also this:

While Minato can act aloof and distant and live separate (and relatively unbothered) from other people, I've always interpreted Hamuko's more active/upbeat dialogue as... a sort of playing along? For a girl, especially a high school girl, it's probably easier to pretend to get along with everyone than act aloof and distanced since that is a common way to get singled out and bullied. While it would happen to guys as well, I think it's more typical and stronger with high school girls from my experience. Even removing my own experience it's also a common trope in media (ESPECIALLY ASIAN MEDIA) for girls who are unable to express themselves or refuse to get orchastrized. In fact, isn't this what happens to Saori?

Not only that, in the stageplay Kotone (Hamuko's stageplay name) is shown to also suffer that same indifference-- just how she shows it is different. For her, putting on that act is her way of passing under the radar- playing along with other people so they don't point her out as different and following how she's supposed to act. Her investment in others only goes surface level because that's what's best for her. (Yukari in the stage notes that she seemed to have no interest in her friends).

In contrast, Minato is like a wall. He doesn't play with how others want, but others aren't concerned with him at all. I mean you could easily make the case of him also standing out so much as well, but it doesn't matter too much. In any case both of them were unable to form full connections with others in their life before and both of them were somewhat helpless about how their life was playing out.

I think to the protagonist in most iteration where they were allowed their own self they were helpless because they didn't have a proper motivation aside from going on with motions.

This, of course they learn as they follow other people's lives. Finding out why others live.

"You all have reasons not to die, right? But I have nothing, so..."

The protagonist starts from 0.

But that changes. The more the protag goes through life, the more memories they make, the bonds they forge. It changes them. Gains something through the time they can spend with others.

The protag knows. Has known: They have something to live for- something to protect and stay with. They find their answer.

It's because they understand the beauty of life. Some, people finding their own goals and reasons to keep going. Others, finding acceptance of what's left.

I always interpreted the protagonist growing stronger after forging bond symbolic in that way. More powerful as their understanding of others deepen. As they find more and more reason to live, their ability to fight against death and the apathy that plagues them grows. Did SEES truly draw power from accepting death? Or is the instinctive will to keep living? The protagonist was alive, but they learn what it is to live. Through changing the world they inhibit, they learn what life is: Change.

Death is inevitable yes, but life does not end at death (Akinari told you as much)

Someone said the beauty of how difficult it is to 100% p3 without a guide is that it signifies the limit on life. I also think that the beauty is that I don't think anyone played p3 that first time with the thought of wasting time. Every moment, I think was spent meaningfully.

(I don't know if it's in the og since its been years, but I think P3R has more flavortext about the protaganist and their state of being as the game goes on. More reason to go on, their health increasing. Thinking about the future and such.)

IF THE PROTAGANIST DID NOT LOVE LIFE, THEY WOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO MAKE THE SEAL.

-

We'd also have to address Aegis and Ryoji and their relationships with the protagonist. Moreso Aegis than Ryoji though (if you're following the older iterations of p3. the movies are. well. the movies. the manga . well. you know how it is.)

For the both of them, they are something inhuman learning about what it means to be alive. For Aegis, she knows the actions that humans can take, but doesn't understand the emotions behind them and the reasons humans do them. For Ryoji, he's able to carry out the emotions, but has no knowledge of the proper actions to properly convey them. They're both approximating a human being but it's something else they lack more.

There's a reason I said Ryoji understands how to "carry out" his emotions. Both of them don't understand [human connection].

Well.

And isn't that the whole point of the social link system? Isn't that becoming more and more the thesis of the Persona games?

Here, Aigis mostly only is able to connect to SEES through what she was made for. Ryoji is connecting to the inverse, able to connect to their classmates separate from who he was meant to be.

-

I'm gonna separate discussing the two to make it easier though, so let's start with Ryoji, since Aigis will have lots more to go over.

I think it's not totally wrong if Ryoji... is kind of like Hamuko? Now hear me out.

I've never fully stood by the Male vs Female protags are siblings, and instead stood by the 'they are the same person' like in Persona Q2. I think at their very core, they are similar if not the same people and their expression of it contrast each other heavily.

I think Ryoji started off on something like that? Like he's his own person and he deviates from Minato and Hamuko quite a bit even from the start, but I do think having lived inside of them influenced his (core) of being. The time before the protagonists properly started making connections, they had Pharos.

Pharos was the first social link the protagonist establishes (if I'm not wrong) and I think the way Pharos acts initially, is the same understanding of the world the protagonist may have internally... just maybe with more understanding of the world but not the people in it.

Now there's heavy distinctions between the manga, the game, the stageplay, the movies, and spin offs considering about media and their ability to portray stories. You cannot tell the (exact) same story across media especially when it's initial point is a game. Forgive me if my memories of p3p and p3 are loose since I quite literally was Ken's age when I first played. (Trust me I feel insane realizing that now too).

But as time goes on you're expected to interact with others and form connections to them as Pharos himself also becomes closer to you (but also separating, becoming his own being in the process). Maybe it's because of that he's able to.

Once Ryoji is able to be, he tries starting conversations with everyone and anyone... he just doesn't fully understand why or what makes a real connection. He asks this of the protagonist, what connections are and what they mean. He doesn't get it because he's trying to mimic it without understanding it fully I think.

But he's able to form a real relationship with the protagonist. Friendship or romance, there is an understanding there. Ryoji's not aware of it and the protagonist likely isn't either, but I feel like the reason that their connection works (in a way Ryoji can understand) is because I guess in a weird way, he's not forcing it? I can't think of the right word here, and hell I can be wrong. But I do think there is some significance in Ryoji trying to befriend several people, but only mostly hanging with Junpei and the protag.

I think a little bit in this way, he's like Hamuko? Of course, I don't think it's intentional, but shrugs. I do think initially he struggles to form actual meaningful connections.

Anyways did you know apparently the song that Ryoji plays in Reload is a graduation song. Did you know that. A song about hope and existing freely. Anyways. Anyways.

Anyways, killing Ryoji being a bad ending... I don't think it's just because it's yknow, against the plot of the game or whatever. I think it's because it's forsaking a bond that the protagonist forged, it's forsaking a life that the protag had connected to. It goes against their powers I think. Their reason to live... Not just the fact they'd be forgetting everything (A majority of SEES' reason) but also appreciating the beauty of life? I guess. I'm not the most eloquent.

I think also there's something symbolic in the protag loving the call of death, yes. But there's also the embodiment of what should be calling death, being told by someone who is so intimately familiar with death and grief that life matters. Even death's own 'life', he didn't kille the aspect of 'life' in death.

(Also I couldn't figure out where to fit Ryoji's fight from the manga and the tarot's meaning being told out to the protag as the fight goes on)

-

Now on one hand I can reference Aegis: The First Mission, for Aegis having already capacity for emotions and just losing it, but that was never the whole thing.

Aigis Atlus Autism Blast.

Anyways. Aigis... I think her capacity of feeling emotions being inhibited by her inability to break away from her "reason." Because her reason was still... being formulated I think? Like she kind of blocked off her capacity in order to follow this reason she was told to keep and not fully understand?

I think Aigis always had emotions it's just that it's always been held back, time and time again. I think she unintentionally forces her emotions down because she's prioritizing this [reason], before her emotions become part of her reason. I think for Aigis it genuinely about the small things. SEES can't help but consider Aigis human, even if her appearance is obviously not. Aigis can't help but have her humanity leak out of her, and its through her that SEES feels more cohesive. Like you may say that she broke out of those restrictions on her because of the protag, I think it's because each and every one of SEES is her friend. Yes shes weird, and acts out, but they cared for her.

Even way early on, Aigis had the capacity to be human even if bonds and such imply otherwise-- And I truly believe it's no other reason than Aigis herself. I think it's her lack of understanding of self, a little bit too? Like, I think she knows that the protag is part of her reason, and she genuinely doesn't know why. But it never delves into anything more personal than that until she learns the full truth. As Ryoji sheds his humanity, Aigis gains hers.

Like... Aigis is so compelling because she's so genuine about her emotions? Like simple enjoyment of being, her bluntness. She also is starting from a relative 0 like the protag does, but she's starting from not understanding the actions one takes to form a connection? Like you can very much argue that Aigis didn't, since she replies robotically, but I feel like its more so bc she didn't have that kind of care yet, personally.

GOD I'm making my case so poorly here, but her learning about life and learning about loving life to only lose the person who gave her purpose for so long. The person she loves, the person who loves her back. Losing the person who gave her that push to find her own humanity. Aigis drives me so crazy.

Like, Aigis doesn't just learn about happiness, she's forced to feel grief, forced to confront it and how to cope with it. She's forced to understand death... but she's also taught that death means you have to appreciate the time spent as well.

I think the fact she exists distinct from her purpose and the protag is her miracle of life. She finds her own answer. No one can give someone else their answer, but they can help find it. SEES fights with her, helps guide her to her answer. Like all the SL finding their goals and conclusions in their general life, Aigis is helped by the entirety of SEES.

LIKE. I'm trying to stick to main-game's storyline, but the answer. god. The Answer. Aigis is so painfully human, and the fact her body doesn't match is painful. Her failures isn't what makes her human, her refusal to lose purpose and keep fighting does.

She fights against death, and she fights the body that refuses her humanity.

If Persona 3 was a game about death, they wouldn't have filled it with so much determination to live.

ok i realize i spent too much time on this so sayonara. maybe another time.

last hope for humanity / humanity's last hope